


Steven Universe AU

by Ibenholt



Category: Ai no Kusabi
Genre: Courtroom Drama, Crossover, Homeworld Hierarchy (Steven Universe), Steven Universe References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2019-11-28 05:51:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18204374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ibenholt/pseuds/Ibenholt
Summary: Riki, an off-color Pearl, has committed the worst crime thinkable. He has shattered a Diamond.But why?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't get this silly, little idea out of my head. Hope you'll indulge me! 
> 
> This is of course based on how Sapphire and Ruby met in The Answer.

Jupiter’s court had begun. The 11 most esteemed Diamonds had torn them from their duties and appeared before their creator. Two spots stood empty, however. One usually occupied by Orphe, the blue Diamond and the other the place of Iason Mink, the White Diamond.

The doors opened, and two guards entered with a short gem between them. He didn’t struggle, but lifted his head to take in the massive room. The tiles and pillars, and finally his executioners.

“They call him Riki the Dark.”

Gideon Lagat muttered to Lord Aisha Rozen, who pursed their painted lips.

“A mere off-color… to think that a malformed gem could do such a thing.”

The gem was indeed malformed on the young man. Embedded in his chest, the shining black pearl was an oval, rather than a perfect half-sphere.

Other than that, he was pleasing to the eye. Dressed plainly in black, a teasing strip of his mid-riff was revealed by low-rise trousers and a short t-shirt under a leather jacket. His hair was inky and wild, just as his eyes, that were darting about.

He was placed in the middle of the circle made up of Diamonds, his head lowered before Jupiter. She was gigantic. A prism reflecting the sparse light in the room.

“What is the charge?”

She rumbled, her voice betraying no emotion.

“This off-color murdered Orphe!” Marcus Jayd said, seemingly restraining himself from flying forth and pummeling Riki into the floor, “He did so brutally and with no provocation! He should be shattered as quickly as possible!”

The Diamonds murmured amongst one another and stopped abruptly as Iason Mink marched into the room. His eyes were focused on Marcus, emanating pure disgust,

“How dare you keep me away?” 

Marcus gave no reply, and Iason didn’t intend to wait for one. He looked to Riki instead, who had quite frankly not expected to see him,

“Mother, may I speak?”

Jupiter answered her favored son with a hand gesture, spreading reflections throughout the room,

“Thank you. As you all know, there have been several attempts on my life the past few months. My own guards could not save me from the explosion that took place in my office. I was growing desperate, and Orphe showed no interest in helping me, claiming that I was suffering paranoid delusions. I asked Riki and his gang to serve as bodyguards, as I assumed it would lead to an element of surprise. Clearly it did.”

He held up a flat, black stick and all but waved it in Marcus face,

“I am late today because this evidence was ‘lost’. I made it my duty to track it down. This is footage from the event!”

Without waiting, he inserted it into a port on his own station, and the middle of the floor opened up, projecting Iason, who was surrounded by off-colors. They had formed a wall around him, although none of them even reached his shoulder. One of them appeared to notice something, and summoned a shield that took a shot meant for Iason.

Chaos erupted as a cloaked figure emerged and took out two of them.

The rest of the off-colors fused together into a monstrosity unlike anything they had ever seen and tried to get a hold of the masked figure, but to no avail. With a few strikes and an energy beam, only Riki stood left.

He dashed forward, grabbing the gun on his way and shooting almost blindly. The focus changed, and the hood of the attacked fell back, revealing Orphe’s shocked face. Thin lines spread all over him as glowed and ceased to be.

Somehow, Riki’s soft gasp as he saw who it was had been recorded. So had the sound of the gun hitting the ground.  Afterwards, he stood there with his eyes wide. He didn’t even fight the guards that surrounded him and led him away.

 

“He did as he was told.”

Iason said coolly. The room burst into murmurs at that, but with a tilt of their mother’s head, they once again fell silent.

“Orphe attempted to murder me. We have known for a long time now that he wished to take over my position on the council. The pebble has murdered a Diamond, yes. But at the orders of another Diamond. If anyone should be punished, it should be me.”

Jupiter could not stop her children this time. Griffith and Marcus voiced strong protests.

Riki could see a few surprised looks among the normally stiff elite features. Had he only been aware that while Iason was no coward, he rarely got his hands dirty. And taking the blame for something that was not directly his was something his brothers had never seen him do.

The crime of shattering another gem, especially an elite gem, was so high that even the most ruthless among them would think to do so.

“He is a pearl, mother. As such, I request he be purified and set to serve.”

I serve no one, Riki wanted to scream, but it died in his throat as his eyes met Iason’s.

“Serve who, my son?”

“Me.”

Iason replied.

“Why you?” Marcus called out, “Orphe’s household is the wronged party!”

“So you suggest we send them an untrained Pearl? No, Marcus. This is a burden I shall take on, to repent for my brother’s life.”

Marcus scoffed, and other outbursts followed, until Jupiter stood up. No one dared utter a word as her glowing eyes grazed all of them,  

“My son’s request will be honored. The faulty Pearl will be altered and brought to the Mink household.”

Riki’s eyes widened, but he said nothing as Iason took his arm and led him out of the room, the Diamonds’ eyes burrowed in their backs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art by the wonderful envyhime from tumblr! Please go check her out, her art is like soul food for the eyes.

Iason did not speak as they drove to the penthouse. Riki just stared at his hands as he waited for them to arrive.

He’d shattered someone.

They were far more likely to do that in the Slum than in here in the civilized zones, but that usually required that the gem in question had made themselves a giant pain in the ass for everyone. This Diamond had tried to harm a paying customer, but did that justify what he had done?

The vehicle stopped abruptly.

“We are here.”

Iason said. He waited until the door was opened for him to step out. Riki followed, shocked to see that a Pearl had been driving them. He was pretty, with pale hair and skin and an azure uniform. He bowed for them both.

“Did you ask Cal to ready the purification chamber?”

“It’s all set up, my Diamond.”

“Very well. You may accompany us.”

The Pearl did so, only giving Riki a quick glance before falling into step with his Master.

The elevator was playing a pleasant tune, and there was a golden chair in one of the corners. Riki couldn’t help but let his eyes wander. Even in a place as small as this, they had decorated and made sure it fit with the rest of the house. This was what it meant to be rich.

“This is Daryl.”

Iason said suddenly. He didn’t turn when he said it, and yet Daryl stood to attention,

“He will instruct you in your duties. It will not take long, as I only plan to keep you as a decorative Pearl. But then I assume your temper is the true challenge we have ahead of us.”

As he spoke, Riki felt his stomach sink. A decorative Pearl? So he was supposed to sit by Iason’s feet and look pretty? Forever? Sweat started to form on his forehead as he imagined being surrounded by Diamonds again who knew what he had done. His hand trembled as he reached for his shirt collar,

“I-I’d rather be a driver.”

Daryl gaped at him, and Iason turned around.

Riki swallowed as the Diamond came closer to him. He could make out the shapes in his eyes, and feel his hair tickle his cheeks.

“How amusing that you think you have a choice in the matter.”

Iason said softly.

The elevator made a noise and stopped. They walked out into a grand hall covered in golden trims, paintings and sculptures. Riki immediately started scouting for a window or a door. Then he stopped himself.

Wasn’t his word his bond? And hadn’t Iason saved his ass when he had no reason to do so? Even if he was just going to be a bauble for the rest of his life, he would have kept his promise.

“Riki?”

Now he stood to attention. Iason put his hand on his back and led him into a room. A small Pearl with vanilla yellow hair and attire bowed deeply for them. Riki’s eyes soon landed on the apparatus next to him. A giant shell was attached to a podium and a control panel.

“Undress and step into the shell.”

The Pearls made no sign that they were leaving, and Riki didn’t wanna piss Iason off, so he obeyed. With only a though, his clothes melted away, leaving only his body.  

Iason’s gaze was so strong that Riki almost felt as if he was touching him. For a second, he wondered what Iason looked like under those Diamond robes, then he shook his head at himself.

“Go along.”

Iason said.

Once again, he did as he was told and walked up the podium and into the shell. Cal had taken a seat by the console, pushing buttons. A large orb took shape around Riki before he had time to think.

Fuck!

He couldn’t stand confined spaces!

He started hitting the walls… the wall? when the fluids continued spraying him. He coughed and tried to find a space where he wouldn’t be hosed down. Then, to his horror, he could see his body altering in the reflection. The changes were minimal, but as his own frightened eyes stared back, he might as well have been fully transformed into another gem entirely.

As the pod opened, Iason got to his feet. Darryl and Cal hurried over with the towels and Riki's new clothes. Neither of them could contain their gasps as Riki stumbled out, eyes and hair ten times more beautifully inky, and the scars washed away to reveal his skin for what it truly was. Iason made no sign, merely looked Riki up and down as he covered himself with his arms, shivering both from the chill in the room and the embarrassment.

______________________________________

Bison reformed at the same time. They were so attuned by now that it only made sense.

Riki watched them and tried not to think of Iason standing behind him. Tried not to think of the uniform he had been put in that he so many times had mocked and sworn he’d never accept.

He just watched as they returned, looking better than ever.

“Oh, man!”

Luke groaned, eyes still closed,

“I guess I needed a… new… set o’clothes…”

Riki could barely look at Guy. His hair was loose now, and the new jacket suited him well. His gang all turned to him, relief quickly transforming to horror on their faces,

“Riki…?”

“I fucked up.”

He said, pulling his gaze away from the tips of his silk slippers.

“The one we were after was a Diamond.”

“But why are you…?”

“I killed him.”

It only caused more confusion, and he wondered why no one could behave with Lord Mink standing so close, but came up and pawed at his new attire, demanding an explanation.  

“Riki is my Pearl.”

Iason’s voice boomed in the small room, and the gang stiffened,  

“Pearl?”

“To serve for his crime, he will work here in Eos as my Pearl.”

"What! You can't do this! He's our leader! Take me instead." Iason leaned down and took Guy's face between his thumb and index finger. "A Hessonite? Hm."

"Please..."

"No.”

He said, letting go of Guy and standing to his full height,

“Your leader was the one to commit the crime. And all favors have been used up. You were all to be shattered for failing in protecting me, but your brave Riki decided to give himself up for you. Honor his sacrifice and leave."

"BUT YOU'RE DAMNING HIM TO...!"

"Guy!" Riki yelled, "Stand down. Go back to Ceres. Please."

Sid and Luke came up, gave Iason each their quick bow before taking Guy off him. Norris threw himself into Riki's arms, kissing his cheek before turning around and running off. Luke and Sid's warm hands squeezed his bicep, but he barely felt it as Guy's teary eyes were burning into him. He kissed him hard,

"Go on. Lead them better than I did."

“Riki!”

The doors opened, and they went through it, with Guy struggling and kicking for dear life,

"NO, RIKI!"

His heart felt crushed in his chest as the last sliver of Guy’s face disappeared between the closing doors.

For a moment, all was silence.

He nearly jumped when Iason's hand landed on his shoulder. "You've done a fine thing for your comrades. And you'll be safe with me." He turned Riki around and brushed the tears away from his face. "Let us go home." He tried not to notice how Riki was looking over his shoulder, to the exit, to the gate that led to Ceres.


End file.
